Stewarts Market holds flu shot clinic

Stewarts Market was the place to be for a sting in the arm as people gathered for their annual flu shot. These shots were administered by the Community Nursing Services Home Health and Hospice.

The CNS has clinics planned in Emery County on Sept. 25 and Oct. 9 from 1-5 p.m. at their Castle Dale office at 55 West Main Street. Bring your Medicare card and insurance information for proper billing. A clinic is also planned for Oct. 17 at Hometown Market in Huntington from 10:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m.

An all-day clinic is planned for Sept. 21 from 8 a.m.-5:30 p.m. at the Castle Dale office of the Southeastern Utah Health Department located at 25 West Main in the Boyd's Pharmacy building. The Castle Dale office holds a vaccination clinic each Monday from 8:30-11:30 a.m. or appointments can be made. The seasonal flu vaccine is available at the Huntington and Price office and according to David Cunningham, Health Officer/Director; people need to protect not just themselves, but others by getting the vaccine now.

Cunningham said the health department is starting its seasonal flu vaccination clinics about a month earlier than in previous years. "The vaccine manufacturers purposely finished up production and distribution of this year's seasonal flu vaccine so that it could be provided to the public ahead of when the H1N1 flu vaccine would be available in later October and during November.

"Who should receive the H1N1 vaccine and when and where the vaccine will be available will be publicly announced during October," Cunningham said.

Besides the seasonal flu vaccine Cunningham reminds everyone to practice good hygiene throughout the entire flu season to reduce the risk of getting sick, such as:

Cover your mouth and nose with disposable tissue when you cough or sneeze and throw away the tissue.

Wash your hands with soap and water or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.

Stay away from other people when you are sick.

People recommended for the seasonal flu vaccination during the 2009-10 flu season are:

Children aged 6 months up to their 19th birthday

Pregnant women,

People 50 years of age and older,

People of any age with certain chronic medical conditions (heart disease; kidney disease; lung diseases like asthma; metabolic diseases like diabetes; blood disorders like anemia; a weakened immune system caused, for example, by cancer or cancer treatment, HIV/AIDS, or steroid therapy; or certain conditions such as neuromuscular disorders that can cause breathing problems),

People who live in nursing homes and other long term care facilities,

People who live with or care for those at high risk for complications from the flu, including:

Health care workers,

Household contacts of persons at high risk for complications from the flu,

Household contacts and out of home caregivers of children less than 6 months of age (these children are too young to be vaccinated).